#AM_Equality Tipsheet: March 30, 2018

HRC PRESIDENT TO TRUMP — SPEAK UP ABOUT THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY TARGETING MEN SUSPECTED OF BEING GAY OR BISEXUAL IN CHECHNYA: HRC released a letter from HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) to Donald Trump calling on him to end his deafening silence on the ongoing crimes targeting men suspected of being gay or bisexual in the Russian republic of Chechnya. Griffin’s letter comes as HRC is also urging its members and supporters to contact the White House and demand Trump condemn the atrocities as “crimes against humanity.” “Over the past year, this White House has remained unconscionably silent as men suspected of being gay or bisexual have been rounded up, tortured, imprisoned, and even killed in the Russian republic of Chechnya,” Griffin said. “Enough is enough. Donald Trump must end his shameful silence and unequivocally condemn these horrific atrocities for what they are — crimes against humanity.” More from HRC, Metro Weekly and Washington Blade.

.@HRC President @ChadHGriffin calls on @realDonaldTrump to end his deafening silence on the ongoing anti-#LGBTQ crimes against humanity in the Russian republic of Chechnya. #EyesOnChechnya t.co/zZKES14Zip

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) March 29, 2018

IN THE BALT SUN — PEDIATRICIAN MOM ON SUPPORTING & FINDING HEALTH CARE FOR HER TRANSGENDER DAUGHTER: Dr. Keisha Michaels, a Baltimore-based pediatrician and member of HRC Foundation’s Parents for Transgender Equality National Council, writes, “[T]here were so many things that we didn’t know: how to navigate school, change her name, and, even though I’m a pediatrician, deal with the health insurance company or find a health care provider.” Dr. Michaels notes that HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index gives health care providers the tools they need to get it right for LGBTQ people and their families. More from The Baltimore Sun.

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY — KINDERGARTEN TEACHER WHO STOOD UP FOR TRANS STUDENTS NAMED TEACHER OF THE YEAR: Kaelin Swaney of Rocklin (Calif.) Academy Gateway school had faced criticism from anti-LGBTQ activists when she read the book “I Am Jazz” — the story of transgender trailblazer and former HRC Youth Ambassador Jazz Jennings  (@JazzJennings__) — in her classrooms. More from The Sacramento Bee.

HRC TO HONOR QUEER EYE’S KAMARO BROWN AT HOUSTON GALA: Jussie Smollett (Empire, Sum of My Music) will present the HRC Visibility Award to Brown at the event, which raises crucial funds in the fight for LGBTQ equality. “As an out and proud gay man, Karamo Brown is using his incredible talent and public visibility to raise awareness and find solutions to the unique challenges LGBTQ people face,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “We are honored to have him marching alongside us as a vocal champion for equality.” More from HRC.

• Brown recently spoke at the HRC Equality Convention and joined Pulse Nightclub shooting survivors and family members in leading hundreds of HRC members and supporters in the #MarchforOurLives in the nation’s capital.

LAWSUIT AGAINST OHIO FOR REFUSING TO ALLOW TRANS PEOPLE TO CORRECT GENDER MARKER ON BIRTH CERTIFICATES: “This lawsuit is an important step in the fight to affirm the rights and dignity of transgender Ohioans, who want nothing more than to be recognized for who they are,” said HRC Ohio State Manager Shawn Copeland. “Barring Ohioans from changing the gender marker on their birth certificate is discrimination plain and simple, and we thank the ACLU of Ohio, Lambda Legal and the National ACLU for their ongoing commitment to making our state fair, just and equal for everyone.” More from The Associated Press.

HRC RELEASES REPORT HIGHLIGHTING TRANS AND NON-BINARY WORKERS’ NEED FOR PAID LEAVE: In advance of International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) on Saturday, the HRC Foundation released a groundbreaking report underscoring the urgent need for inclusive employer-paid family and medical leave for transgender and non-binary workers. The report, which reveals the unique barriers faced by these workers, draws on responses to the HRC’s 2018 U.S. LGBTQ Paid Leave Survey — the largest and most comprehensive survey ever of its kind. More from HRC.

• TDOV is a time to celebrate transgender people around the globe and the courage it takes to live openly and authentically, while also raising awareness around the discrimination trans people still face. In honor of TDOV, members of HRC’s staff share what visibility means to them on HRC’s blog.

Y’all, I work with some amazing trans folks at @HRC. I almost cried reading these quotes from just a few of my colleagues on the power of visibility ahead of #TDOV. t.co/catH0hhm8V

— Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) March 30, 2018

ONE OF GOVERNMENT’S TOP CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYERS HEADS TO LAMBDA LEGAL: Diana Flynn previously served as the chief of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Appellate Section. More from BuzzFeed.

VOTE TO REPEAL TRANS PROTECTIONS ON THE BALLOT IN MASSACHUSETTS: HRC is a leading partner in the Freedom for All Massachusetts campaign working to defeat the anti-transgender measure. More from The UMass Lowell Connector.

RHODE ISLAND CONSIDERS BILL TO PROTECT TRANS PEOPLE FROM BEING MISGENDERED IN DEATH: The legislation would require that death certificates reflect a person’s gender identity. More from Uprise RI.

ALA. COUPLE FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING 11-YEAR-OLD SON BECAUSE FATHER THOUGHT HE WAS GAY: More from Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, OHIO, LAUNCHES PROGRAM TO COMBAT LGBTQ DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: More from WOSU.

HRC MOURNS CHRISTOPHER TRIPP ZANETIS, AIRMAN AND LGBTQ ADVOCATE: More from The Bay Area Reporter.

SIX WAYS TO MAKE TO MAKE PASSOVER MORE INCLUSIVE: From HRC.

Before you sit down for the #Passover seder, check out these six ways to make your seder more inclusive. t.co/bcmN6xdtgS

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) March 30, 2018

#JUSTICE — COURT DISMISSES BIZARRO EFFORT TO REMOVE PRIDE FLAGS FROM CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES: More from Long Beach Post.

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

BARBADOS GOV’T MINISTER ATTACKS HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: After the organization released a report on discrimination against LGBTQ people in the Eastern Caribbean, Steve Blackett, Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development in Barbados, called it “an attempt to transpose and to transplant a foreign culture into Barbados called same-sex marriage.” More from Human Rights Watch.

READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!

Washington Blade’s Michael Lavers (@mklavers81) interviews LGBTQ Venezuelans finding refuge in Colombia; Gay Times highlights Love, Simon star Keiynan Lonsdale’s (@Keiynan Lonsdale) music video for his single “Kiss the Boy”; HuffPost discusses Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds’ (@DanReynolds) call for LGBTQ equality at Lollapalooza Brazil; Vox shares a powerful photography project highlighting trans and gender-expansive youth

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-march-30-2018?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

May I Have Another Parent, Please? And Another, and Another…

It’s legally possible for a child to have more than two parents — and while such arrangements are challenging, they’re manageable, writes attorney Eric Wrubel.

www.advocate.com/commentary/2018/3/30/may-i-have-another-parent-please-and-another-and-another

CNN’s Alisyn Camerota to David Hogg: ‘What Kind of Dumb-Ass Colleges Don’t Want You?’

Parkland survivor and anti-gun violence activist David Hogg joined Alysyn Camerota on CNN’s New Day this morning to react to Laura Ingraham’s apology. At least 8 advertisers have dumped Ingraham after the FOX News host mocked Hogg’s rejection from colleges.

Said Hogg: “I would say that she needs to be more objective and stand down because I am not the issue here, the issue needs to be gun violence in America but what she’s trying to do is to distract from that and I hate it.”

He added: “She’s only apologizing after a third of her advertisers pulled out and I think it’s really disgusting the fact that she basically tried promoting her show after ‘apologizing’ to me. I think it’s wrong and if she really wanted to do something she could cover things like inner city violence and the real issues that we have in America.”

Asked Camerota: “How are you coping through all this?”

Replied Hogg: “When I see things on Twitter of people comparing me to Hitler or calling us Communists…It’s literally only been five and a half weeks and the fact that they’re going after us personally shows that what we’re doing is working. We have them scared and now we have to go even harder because this is when it really starts to matter.”

Camerota then asked if Hogg would ever sit down with Ingraham to have a face-to-face.

Replied Hogg: “I would like to do that but first I would need her to be more objective in the way that she talks about us…what she does most of the time is, she’s like ‘this leftist group is trying to take all your’…. She gets this really threatening tone about us that we don’t have. We’re people that just want everybody to come together as Americans and solve this issue.”

Finally, Camerota asked, “What kind of dumb-ass colleges don’t want you?”

Said Hogg with a smile: “We have a heavily impacted university system in America. I think there’s a lot of really good candidates that don’t get into college. I think it goes to show that regardless of whether or not you get into college, you can still change the world. The hardest part is just believing that you can and continuing that effort to change the world because you eventually will.”

Watch:

The post CNN’s Alisyn Camerota to David Hogg: ‘What Kind of Dumb-Ass Colleges Don’t Want You?’ appeared first on Towleroad.

CNN’s Alisyn Camerota to David Hogg: ‘What Kind of Dumb-Ass Colleges Don’t Want You?’

Homophobe Who Sued Congressmembers Over Their Pride Flags Loses Case

Chris Sevier sued four members of Congress for displaying the flag, making the bizarre claim that it was a religious symbol.

www.advocate.com/politicians/2018/3/29/homophobe-who-sued-congressmembers-over-their-pride-flags-loses-case